ECI says names were removed after verification of demolished dwellings; 496 Form 6 applications received at special enrolment camps
New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that 727 of the 728 residents of Bela Estate, a settlement along the Yamuna, were removed from the electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.
Gandhi raised the issue after visiting the Bela Estate settlement and interacting with residents. In a social media post accompanying a video of his visit, he claimed that only one resident's name remained on the electoral roll after the revision exercise. He also questioned the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the deletion of the names.
According to Gandhi, residents of the area had been living there for several decades and had participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. He said that although their homes were demolished in 2023, the residents continued to live in the locality.
The Election Commission, however, said the issue had already been examined by the concerned Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). The poll panel stated that the deletions were carried out after verification by Booth Level Officers, who marked the affected electors under the category DSDD, meaning Demolished Structure/Demolished Dwelling, after finding that they were no longer residing at their registered addresses.
The ECI said Bela Estate falls under polling station number 38, formerly polling station number 33, located on the western bank of the Yamuna. Agricultural activities in the area were discontinued in 2021, while dwelling units were demolished during 2022-23. Following these developments, 728 electors were deleted from the electoral roll.
The Commission further said that some of the affected residents subsequently moved to temporary tarpaulin tents beneath the Geeta Colony Bridge. It pointed out that homeless persons are eligible for enrolment as electors under the applicable provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the guidelines governing electoral rolls.
To facilitate enrolment, the Election Commission said special camps were organised on September 18 and 20 at JJ Bela Estate and Vijay Ghat. A total of 496 Form 6 applications were received during these camps.
The applications are currently being processed and will be decided after verification by Booth Level Officers, the poll panel said. It added that residents who have not yet submitted Form 6 can apply either online or offline for inclusion in the electoral roll.
The ECI also said the deadline for filing claims and objections in Delhi had been extended to October 30, 2026. Eligible residents whose names are absent from the draft electoral roll can submit Form 6 along with the prescribed declaration and supporting documents.
Applications can be submitted to the Electoral Registration Officer, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer or Booth Level Officer. Eligible applicants can also use the Election Commission's voter services platform to submit their applications online.
